Stan Nze Reveals How He Suffered Before Becoming Famous

Actor Stan Nze is one of Nollywood's prominent stars but the road to fame was quite unpleasant and filled with suffering.

In a recent chat with popular show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Nze recalled his early days in the movie industry, revealing how he auditioned 200 times yearly but got jobs in just four of those productions.

“We come into the industry and project our big break for two or three years time. You’re not sure when it’s going to happen. I’ve done films I thought would be my breakthrough but it comes out and no one talks about it,” he stated.

"Some other ones you didn’t think would be so great end up doing well. It’s been a journey of being hopeful. Every project is important because it’s all cumulative to make the brand stand. Before UNIZIK, I knew I wanted to act.

Stan Nze | Photo Credit: INSTAGRAM

"Do people make money from it? I wasn’t sure at the time if it was something you could do professionally. I thought actors were just having fun. I entered the school and joined a theatre group, Champions Theatre. It helped me.

"It gave me confidence and, after every performance, people would admire my acting. I started going for auditions. I lived in Lagos but was studying in Awka. It was hard to do projects in Lagos. No one tells you when they start.

"I’d always go to school and, when there’s a long vacation, I’d go for auditions. I’m in school someday and  I get called from Lagos for a set the next day. I lost jobs until my industrial training in 2009 when I got my first role.”

Nze

Speaking further, Nze dished that before his big break came in 2015, a colleague told him that he looked as though he was suffering.

"I started getting recommendations. I got my first role but it was much harder breaking in fully. In my mind, I was talented but it didn’t happen like that. I had dry moments, years when no one said anything.

"I was on stage in 2015 and someone said, ‘guy, what’s going on. You look like you’re suffering.’

"You do 200 auditions in a year and get three or four of those jobs. And the cycle continues. 2015 was defining. It was the year I produced my first film. I got really juicy roles and people started taking me seriously.”